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I read about this beer. I had a trip to Belgium n picked up a case. A really nice taste, not boozy. Too much foam but does disappear quick to a nice head. Complex flavor. The lacing is great. Flavor changes as it warms. Better than st Bernardus 12. An outstanding beer but not necessarily the worlds best beer. Seek it out if you can

Pours murky brown. The tan head is pillowy, but less pronounced than other quads – maybe a finger and a half in the Rochefort (forgive me) chalice. Sat on this one for a year, so Merry Christmas to me. This contemplative time calls for casting a blog post out into the great wide sphincter of the web.

Rating this, it’s true – the hype colours my opinion, for better or worse. Having tried the Blonde, 8, and 12, the word I keep coming back to with the Westys is 'subdued'.

I'll come clean – that's pretentious English for 'not as tasty as expected'.

These are obviously complex flavours that mingle to create something unique, cohesive, and of course, oft-mimicked. But in a world where incredible brews are becoming more accessible with each passing day, these holy grails from a romanticized era of monks and secret yeasts are built to disappoint.

Still, I kept it for a year, took it from the cellar at just the precise time, took a couple of silly photos, cut a slice of Christmas pudding, and tucked in. Lo and behold, it was great! It maintains a deeper character than other quads, forgoing syrupy sweet fruits and sugars to ponder leathery fig and cherry. The spices recall cigar paper and toffee, and, of course, there is zero alcohol whatsoever.

But then, constantly on the periphery of booze and jolly times, there’s St. Bernardus – brown robed, chalice aloft. I can grab his abt. 12 from 4 or 5 different liquor stores in the area, and am yet to have a straight-up bad or tainted experience. Is the Westy really as superior as the comparative hassle of acquiring it would suggest? No, not really.

There’s also Rochefort 10 – definitely a favourite of mine. Each bottle has slight variances, but what beer doesn’t? I’m sure the Westy does, despite its deified status.

But which is better? Well, I'm no expert. Who's to say my pour or temperature control wasn't off? Maybe my tastebuds weren’t working at 100% efficiency. When I make it to Belgium, I’ll be sure to try them side by side. It’ll be fun.

Then, for all I drone on about the market being saturated with young breweries jumping in to imperial stouts and unnecessarily aged quad-wannabes, there’s something like Copperhead’s quad, Medusa. Is it superior to the originals? Well, no. But it *is* a half hour drive and 5 bucks away, and I can get it straight from the tap. Probably some nice conversation, too.

So, what's the lesson here? Well, time to go dark on hype. No more Facebook circlejerks telling me what it is the local community should like; no more avoiding things because untappd decided it’s only worth a 3.8 (I mean, Gulden Draak? Common guys!); no more hoarding bottles for the sake of hoarding.

I’ll probably get excited for the odd interesting-sounding limited release, but let’s see what’s on the doorstep before I get blueballs for the next Best Beer in the World™. Cheers, everyone! Happy New Year!

I had the opportunity to finally try the Holy Grail of beer. I had expected to have been let down due to the hype and exclusivity, but was very pleased with the bottle! The level of balance and complexity was remarkable. Indeed, the Holy Grail was in my possession. For the briefest moment, I was immortal.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, loads of dark fruit. Big raisins and plums, light fig. Lots of leather. Definitely tastes 'aged'. Great caramel and belgian yeast going on. Honestly this is just picture perfect for what I want in a Quad. Zero discernible alcohol as well.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, not cloy, and the alcohol is hidden very nicely.

O - Overall this was a very very well done Quad. This is drinking absolutely wonderfully right now, really happy I drank this now and was able to enjoy it but sad that it is my one and only vintage bottle. Just excellent. There's a reason why cars used to line up in droves at the monastery gates to get Westy all those years ago.